


A Light in Loss

by literarrow



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Arrow - Fandom, The Flash, The Flash (TV 2014), flarrow - Fandom, olivarry - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-03 13:01:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17284535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literarrow/pseuds/literarrow
Summary: Oliver and Barry go to a bar after defeating their yearly big bads— except their most recent fights took away important people in their lives. They bond and connect over it.[Short one shot. Takes place after the events of Arrow Season Four and Flash Season Two.]





	A Light in Loss

They had won, yet bitter feelings still overcame him. Damien Darhk's rotting corpse had been taken far away from Star City and Oliver would never see it again. Still, Oliver sat alone in the team's bunker-- feeling defeated. Because even though he had pierced his chest with a lethal arrow, even though he had breathed his last socket of air, Darhk still continued to torment Oliver's conscience. 

Green Arrow and his team had thwarted Darhk's plan to destroy Star City. The city had risen up to fight alongside them. Oliver even got the kill shot. He, quite literally, was the final nail in the coffin that was Damien Darhk's failure. Yet in the moments after, there were no sentiments of triumph. 

There was the void. It followed him as he walked away from the scene, only consuming him even more as the tread continued. The void that was caused by the overwhelming feeling of loss. 

Damien killed her. Just like he said he would. He stopped Oliver's arrow with his goddamned sorcery, only to use the arrow to stab his team member. No. Not just his team member. His moral compass. His rock. The person who knew him better than anyone in his life ever could. In Oliver's mind, defeating Darhk meant little to nothing. He had still taken Laurel from him-- and in this, he had taken away a piece of his soul. 

Loss wasn't a new feeling for Oliver. He had lost many in his lifetime and every time another left his life, a little piece of him would be chipped away. With Laurel's death, he felt as if he could hardly recognize himself. 

He sullenly sat on the floor of their bunker, soaking in the silence and wallowing it in. For the first time since Laurel's passing, he finally felt as if he could take a breath. Everything had become calm. He could finally sit in tranquility. Even if it were just for a moment.

He had a television running, not taking much notice to the screen as it ran on mute. He had taken a quick glance in it's direction, immediately bringing his full attention to the screen as he a familiar emblem was pictured in the top right corner. 

Flash defeats Zoom.

Oliver instantaneously reaches in his pocket for his phone. He knew he needed to talk to someone and frankly, his team were all reminders of what he had lost. And who would have been a better option than someone who had also just bested a psychopath as Oliver just did? 

He texted Barry Allen, proposing a drink at a local bar while also requesting a "lift." Little did Oliver know, Barry had suffered a crippling loss as well. 

"So you beat him?” Oliver asks Barry knowingly, accepting the drink being handed to him by the bartender. 

Barry purses his lips while nodding. He fiddles with his own bottle. “Yep.”

Barry kept his attention towards his drink, looking removed from his surroundings. His was expressionless. He was a person who radiated any moment or conversation he partook in. Yet, his current demeanor was dimmed. 

Oliver took a sip from his glass. “How’d you do it?”

“The speed force,” Barry began monotoned, his eyes not leaving the fixated point they had been at for minutes. “They sent time wraiths. The wraiths brought his withering corps back with them to the speed force.”

Oliver clears his throat. “Sounds like it was brutal.”

“He deserved worse.” Barry replied, his tone unchanging. He then brought his attention back upwards. “I wanted him dead.” 

“That’s not you, Barry.” Oliver began, taken back by his friend’s new mindset. “You don’t compromise your morals.”

He brings his attention back to his drink. “When you witness a psychopath shove his vibrating hand through your father’s heart, you don’t care about morals. You care about vengeance.”

“He killed your father?” Oliver asks. 

Barry looks at Oliver for the first time since they had sat down. Tears had set in the bottom of his eyes. “Just when I had finally accepted my mother’s death, Zoom murders my father. Right in front of me.” 

“I’m so sorry, Barry.” Oliver looks at him with empathetic eyes. “When you’re ready to talk about it, I’m here.”

Barry shows Oliver a weak smile before taking a sip of his beer. “Does it get better?”

Oliver nods his head while mimicking Barry’s actions. “It does. And I’m still having to remind myself of that.” 

“How are you doing by the way?” Barry asks with concern. “With Laurel and all.”

“I miss and think about her everyday.” Oliver confides solemnly. “And I thought killing Darhk would make the hurt go away. I was wrong.”

“My team had to lock me in a our meta-prison to stop me from killing Zoom,” Barry told him, his tone in disbelief. “I felt this rage— this darkness that felt uncontrollable.”

“Once you give into that darkness, you can never let it go.” Oliver brings his eyes towards the counter underneath him. “I’ve been living with it for almost ten years.” 

He looks back at Barry. “You’re strong. You didn’t tempt that urge.”

“You’re strong too, Oliver.” Barry says, turning his body to face him. “You have faced more loss than any villain I’ve faced. You haven’t given into the darkness completely.

There’s still a light inside of you.” 

Oliver lifts up his glass as to propose a toast. He lets out a subtle smile. “Promise me one thing, Barry. Never lose your light.”

“I will try my best,” Barry answers, raising his glass to match Oliver’s. 

“To staying strong.” You


End file.
